Budget talks on the table, GOP looks to take food off the table

Regarding “Biden seeks spending boost: Asks Congress for short-term deal” (Page A2, Sept. 1): What impels some legislative leaders to propose policies that reduce American families’ access to healthful foods, health care referrals, breast-feeding support, and nutrition education? House Republicans’ recent bills do just that by undercutting the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, which serves more than 115,000 pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and children in Massachusetts alone.

Decades of data demonstrate that WIC works, with participation contributing to healthier birthweights, improved food security, and a more nutritious diet. Although every WIC dollar saves an estimated $2.48 in health care costs and more than $1 on other government programs, proposed cuts would impose waiting lists for the first time in 25 years, turning away more than 12,900 eligible Massachusetts participants. It would also slash fruit and vegetable benefits by 56 to 70 percent for another 84,900, despite my own Massachusetts-based research demonstrating the importance of such benefits in helping parents of young children access healthy fruits and vegetables while spending less out of pocket.

No reputable research supports House Republicans’ proposed cuts, which would effectively undermine WIC’s scientific basis and take food off the table for thousands of Massachusetts families alone. As a public health researcher, I urge Congress to reject these proposals, which jeopardize the health of young families in our state and our nation.

CRISTINA GAGO

Boston

The writer is affiliated with the Boston University School of Public Health in the area of community health sciences. She holds a doctoral degree from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.